Protective arrangement for exposed tensioned cable

ABSTRACT

A protective covering is provided for a tensioned cable encircling a concrete tank. The covering is in the form of a tube having its opposite ends in a frame mounted on the tank. After the cable is prestressed, grout is poured into one end of the tube to fill the annular space between the cable and tube for protection of the stressed cable against corrosion and vandalism.

United States Patent 1191 Dykmans Mar. 27, 1973 r 154] PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR EXPOSED TENSIONED CABLE [76] Inventor: Jacobus 4434 Mayapan ljrive, La Mesa,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Sept. 30, 1971 21 App1.N0.: 185,132

[52] US. Cl. ..52/224, 52/230, 52/698 [51] Int. Cl. ..E04c 3/10, E040 5/08 [58] Field of Search ..52/223 L, 224, 230, 698

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,086,295 2/1914 Hillman ..52/224 3,146,549 9/1964 James ..52/224 3,216,162 11/1965 Gerber ..52/230 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 224,319 1 1/ 1962 Austria ..52/224 227,414 5/1963 Austria... 230,699 10/ l 960 Australia ..52/224 Primary Examiner-Henry C. Sutherland Att0mey-Char1es G. Lyon et a1.

[ ABSTRACT A protective covering is provided for a tensioned cable encircling a concrete tank. The covering is in the form of a tube having its opposite ends in a frame mounted on the tank. After the cable is prestressed, grout is poured into one end of the tube to fill the annular space between the cable and tube for protection of the stressed cable against corrosion and vandalism.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmzmzs SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR MAX/M/AMA/VJOVL MANS ATTdE/VV PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR EXPOSED TENSIONED CABLE The present invention relates to means andv techniques useful in the protection of tensioned cable is to provide a protective covering for the cable of such nature that it is protected against corrosion and is not subject to being snapped as a result of being hit by a high-velocity bullet.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved protection for tensioned cable to achieve the aforementioned purposes.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a covering for a tensioned cable in the form of'a tube encircling the cable with cementitious material filing the annular space between the cable and the outer tube.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide protection of this character in which the tensioned steel is completely sealed off from the atmosphere.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of this character which is suitable for replacement of corroded wires in circumferentially prestressed tank walls.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a portion of a concrete circular wall with a protected reinforcing cable wound around it and apparatus mounted on such wall portion for terminating the ends of the cable and maintaining the same in tensioned protected condition.

FIG. 2 is a view taken in the direction indicated by line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4'4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view. taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

An important feature of the present invention involves encasing-the stressing cable within a protective housing 12 with a hardened cementitious material 13 filling the space between cable 10 and housing 12. This is accomplished using the structure now described.

An elongated supporting structure in the nature of a box frame 14 is secured to the circular wall W by a pair of bolts 16 at each end of frame 14. The frame 14 involves a welded construction in which there is a pair of end plates 14A, 14B, interconnecting elongated side plates 14C, 14D, and three braces 14E, 14F, 14G extending between and interconnecting plates 14C, 14D. As exemplified in FIG. 3, the base portion of the end members, typified by end member 14A conforms with the surface of wall W and the outside planar surface of end member 14A is tilted somewhat instead of-being perpendicular to the wall.

The ends of the protective housing 12 in the nature of a flexible metal tube are secured in the frame end members 14A, 143 respectively, as typified in FIG. 3, for example, by press or slip fitting the same in circular apertured portion 14K of end plate 14A.

Such fitting of the ends of tube 12 in frame end plates 14A, 14B is accomplished after the tube 12, with or without the cable 10 is initially wound around the tank.

As illustrated, there is only one turn of housing or tube 12 around the wall, but the tube 12 may be wound to provide more than one turn after which its ends are secured as previously described.

The cable 10 is then threaded through the protective housing in those instances where the cable is not wound as part of the tube assembly. In any case the ends of cable 12 project through the frame end plates 14A and 14B and are secured after tensioning or stressing of the cable by means typified and described now in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4.

Conventional cable anchoring devices are used in the nature of, for example, split conical wedge elements 20 slidably mounted in the complementary conical opening in sleeve like member 22. The sleeve member 22 is in contact with and is maintained spaced from the plate 14A by a pair of spaced segments 26 (,FIGS. 3 and 4) These end plates 14A, 14B also have secured to them end housing elements 14L and 14M respectively, each in the form of a cylinder having its outer end threaded to receive a nipple 25 within which is threaded a twopiece plug comprising an outer large plug 27 within which is threaded a smaller plug 28.

The cable is tensioned prior to mounting of the nipple 25 so as to allow access to the cable ends for tenout of the other plug opening untilcompletely filled. It

will be seen that the split spacer 26, 26 at each plate 14A, 148 permits the flow of grout from within housing 14L into the tube 12 and from tube 12 into housing 14M to assure a complete filling of the annular space between tube 12 and cable 10.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

l. in a precompressed cylindrical structure, a housing for tensioned cables including a frame structure incorporating two spaced abutments thereon; a tube encompassing the wall of the cylindrical structure with the ends of said tube being secured to a corresponding one ofsaid abutments; a tensioned cable extending throughout the length of said tube and having opposite end portions thereof projecting out of said tube; a cable clamp on each of said end portions and cooperating with corresponding abutments to secure the same thereto; enclosure means secured to a corresponding one of said abutments and enclosing a corresponding one of said cable clamps and eementitious material filling said tube and said enclosure means.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 including spaced spacing means interposed between each of said cable clamps and the corresponding abutment whereby the material is uninterrupted from one of said enclosure plates are disposed in planes angularly related to each other and in convergent relation away from the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical structure.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein means secure said frame structure to said cylindrical structure and end portions of said tube extend through said frame structure.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which atleast one of said enclosure means includes a removable plug. 

1. In a precompressed cylindrical structure, a housing for tensioned cables including a frame structure incorporating two spaced abutments thereon; a tube encompassing the wall of the cylindrical structure with the ends of said tube being secured to a corresponding one of said abutments; a tensioned cable extending throughout the length of said tube and having opposite end portions thereof projecting out of said tube; a cable clamp on each of said end portions and cooperating with corresponding abutments to secure the same thereto; enclosure means secured to a corresponding one of said abutments and enclosing a corresponding one of said cable clamps and cementitious material filling said tube and said enclosure means.
 2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 including Spaced spacing means interposed between each of said cable clamps and the corresponding abutment whereby the material is uninterrupted from one of said enclosure means through one of said spacing means, through said tube, through the other one of said spacing means and into the other of said enclosure means.
 3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said abutments comprises a pair of spaced plates, one at each end of said frame, said frame being elongated between said pair of plates.
 4. A structure as set forth in claim 3 in which said plates are disposed in planes angularly related to each other and in convergent relation away from the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical structure.
 5. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein means secure said frame structure to said cylindrical structure and end portions of said tube extend through said frame structure.
 6. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which at least one of said enclosure means includes a removable plug. 